Quick trip to south island
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Category: Freshwater Fishing
Forum Name: Freshwater Fission
Forum Description: The place to discuss all matters related to freshwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26519
Printed Date: 23 Jun 2026 at 10:22pm
Topic: Quick trip to south island
Posted By: Tobias Alawishous
Subject: Quick trip to south island
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2008 at 7:54pm
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Hi All, I'm going a wedding in Christchurch Friday next week and following that have 3 or 4 days based in and around Hamner Springs on the way up North. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction for some good fishing in the area. I'll be looking at doing maybe 1 or 2 full day fishes and perhaps a couple of evening or morning missions. Any info would be well received. Cheers Toby PS I'm very good at keeping secrets  |
Replies:
Posted By: Chris Dore
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2008 at 9:22pm
| Head across the hill into the clarence or waiau. the nina and lewis rivers produce some bug fusg, particularly the lewis below the highway. |
Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2008 at 9:31pm
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Hammner is just beyond my roaming area. So most of my thoughts are from what others have told me and are not from first person observations. There are several good rivers a short distance drive away. Upper Waiau: Never been there but it has a good reputation, requires a 2 hour walk I believe over private land. 10lb fish are suppose to be relatively common. There is also good fishing to be had in the middle waiau, but I have never tried. Upper Wairau: This is a river I have fished a few times, many people love it and can catch many fish a day. Would be around a 30-40 minute drive. The rainbow river is also worth a look. Good numbers of fish and a real possibility of a few big ones. The wild gooseberries should be ripe but their location is a secret because I plan on raiding them shortly. The tarns of Tarnsdale are also little gems. I like Fish lake (relatively short walk) but I know someone who works with DOC up there and he claims that trout are easiest to spot in bowscale. They are quite plentiful, but it does get windy. Clarence: Quite a scenic looking river, every time I driven pass it is being heavily fished. One time I drove around three corners in a road and saw three different people parked and fishing..... It does hold fish but it does get thrashed over the holidays. The rivers in Molesworth are highly scenic, but never fished them. I plan to one day. They are worth a visit for the scenery alone and I believe the fishing can be productive but the going is hard. There is a large gooseberry patch at the accommodation house campground just before the start of molesworth. They should be ripe and tasty. They are even growing high up the side of the hills in damp spots. Lake Tennyson is a option, plus there is a secret patch of gooseberries hidden at the side of the lake.... I do not believe the fishing is that good. If you are prepared to drive over the Lewis pass, then you would have access to the Maruia. This river holds a impressive number of trout. I have seen the most fish below the spring junction but above the waterfall. River access can be tricky. The best fishing is in the gorge section but it is a large day to walk through... really requires two days to fish. So I really only have first hand experience fishing the Tarns, Upper Wairau/Rainbow and the Maruia. I spent a evening spinfishing in the clarence but that does not count. |
Posted By: Kezza
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2008 at 10:46am
bypass the fishing! you simply must go on one of Militaris' Seagull Catching and Wild Gooseberry Stalking Tours....mmmmmm....real good! 
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Posted By: Tobias Alawishous
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2008 at 11:35am
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Thanks guys.
I'll get the maps out and check into the recomended options. My grandma has a fantastic recipe for gooseberry Jam so I'll be on the lookout. Cheers Militaris.
Looks like our Base maybe over in Muria now, "she who should be obeyed but seldom is unless fishing is on the cards" is changing our base location...... convenienetly it would seem.
Chris is the any one in the area from the loops clan I should look up.
Cheers
Toby
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Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2008 at 12:38pm
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There is years worth of fishing around the Muria region. The hardest part would be deciding which potential area to fish. There is quite a bit of Didymo in that general area so remember your decontamination gear. Near the start of the track to lake dunstan (i think) there is a footbridge over the muria, there the river flows through a short gorge and there is normally a few large tourist trout feeding there. Very trick to cast to.... But generally upstream of spring junction is not worth fishing. The upper grey might also be a option. Plus the dozen of smaller tributary rivers in that area. |
Posted By: Tobias Alawishous
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2008 at 2:40pm
Yeah its going to be tough to pick. The more I look the more I find and there is certainly a wide range of river types as well. Great problem to have however !
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Posted By: fush
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2008 at 4:28pm
Dont know if Kerren is winding you up or not Mili. But its a awesome idea. Have spent alot of time in that area. More black berries than gooseberries. Use to make our years supply of jam when we where kids. Toby - The Grey would be a beaut as Mili suggested - got my first trout from one of those tribs. Otherwise the Maruia dosnt really rate well with me - honest!! While the fish at Lake Tennyson arent big its a great place to camp and spend the night. |
Kezza wrote:Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2008 at 6:31pm
Seen a few Black berries plants up there but I did not take them to be common, thought it was a touch to dry for them. They grow like weeds around mauria where it is a bit wetter... There is also a few Black and Red currant plants. Seen them at the accommodation house and at Tennyson. Think I might visit my patch up the Wairau this weekend to see if any are ready to eat |
Posted By: Chris Dore
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2008 at 8:45pm
| yeah dude, Paul will be over there from the 9th onwards for a week or so fishing and myself and him are there for the coast to coast on the 9th, otherwise jo is floating around the arthura pass region |
Posted By: Tobias Alawishous
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2008 at 10:51pm
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mad men both of you .... the c2c is pretty hardcore .... good luck.
Are you guys going bush for a bit ot just crusing .... imagine a soak in a hot spring might be just what the doc ordered after that race.
Cheers Toby
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Posted By: fush
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2008 at 6:21pm
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Hi Toby Hope you manage to find some where decent to cast a line Good luck |
Posted By: Tobias Alawishous
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2008 at 6:54pm
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Oh i'm sure with all that water down there I'll find somewhere.
Just on the off chance that the rain in the long range materialises can any one let me know what rivers might hold out the longest before becoming unfishable ?
Cheers
Toby
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Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2008 at 7:24pm
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What area are you fishing in? If Spring Junction / Mauria. You could drive to the upper Buller or the Gowan near where they leave the lakes. They are fairly resistant to rainfall. It can be didymo central. Not a fan of the lakes myself. I believe the Woolley is fairly resistant to rainfall. The fish could of dropped back to the main river. Could always tramp into Lake daniells. Probably would take about 1.5 hours. Very scenic, DOC hut, suppose to be a dinny (never found it) and there are rainbows in the lake. Even if the Mauria is swollen it could be worthwhile fishing a streamer in the shallows.... Never tried it myself. The mauria holds a large number of fish. Hopefully someone could provide a more detailed answer. |
Posted By: fush
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2008 at 8:50pm
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If the main rivers are flooded I would try a dry fly, say a paracute
adams size 12 on the river edges. I once had luck at the mouth of
a small stream where it entered the main river. Not far from where I
parked the car at the top of this hay paddock was this bridge. This
small stream wasnt to effected by the rain and there was fish in just a
few inches of water in the main river downstream from where this stream
entered. I later wondered up the small stream past that small bridge
and found a couple more fish. Not sure if that sort of info is helpful or not Toby There is also this other stream further down the river from the spot I mention above. I have been told thats the house where you let people know if your intend to venture further up river. Anyhow that small stream is accessed by a rugged as road behind the house past the wool shed, that road will rip the bottom out of a normal car. The road follows the small stream side for about 7kms but its probably more effective to walk. This stream dosnt get dirty and holds a small number of nice browns - good if that rain hits. There is also quite a few deer at the tops of that road so walk quitely and you will see them in the summer coming down to the stream edge for a drink. I know its all a bit vague Toby but a guy cant give to much away. Hoping the general information might give you a starting point. |